


Cracks in the Foundation

by SunriseRose1023



Series: When You Come Back To Me Again [6]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Gen, Illness, Memory Loss, Pain, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Recovered Memories, Secrets, World Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24136429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunriseRose1023/pseuds/SunriseRose1023
Summary: Some memories are slowly returning, but the more you remember, the less you discover that you really know. A package you thought was meant to jog your memory turns out to be nothing more than items to help you pass the time, and you embark on a trip with your father overseas.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers/Reader
Series: When You Come Back To Me Again [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1283630
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	Cracks in the Foundation

You sat at a table in the corner in a little cafe, iced Frappuccino melting as it sat forgotten beside you. You stared out the window, not even bothering to try and pretend you weren’t anymore. 

You’d convinced Betty that you needed to do a little shopping, and she needed to catch up with a friend from college. She reluctantly agreed, giving you the chance to waste your afternoon in a coffee shop waiting on someone you weren’t even sure was real. 

You put your head in your hands, closing your eyes as you took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The bell above the door jingled and you lifted your head to see a slender woman with short, dark hair approach the counter. You watched her as she grabbed a latte, keeping your eyes trained on her as she walked over, taking a seat in the chair across from you. 

“Miss Ross.”

You slowly nodded, glancing down at the table before you spoke. 

“Pardon me but, um … what the fuck?”

Hope’s eyes widened before her lips curved into a smile. You shook your head. 

“You do know I was just in a year-long coma, right? So I’m not exactly sure I can trust my brain. Especially when I’m talking to someone and then they just disappear into thin air!”  
“I didn’t disappear. I’m just … sneaky.”

You let out an exasperated sigh and Hope took a sip of her drink. 

“Look, I didn’t mean to make you worry or anything. I just couldn’t deal with your father.”  
“Yeah, join the club.”

Hope gave a laugh. 

“Honey, I’ve got daddy issues of my own.”  
“Maybe so, but you didn’t have to grow up with Thunderbolt Ross.”

Hope nodded. 

“Hank Pym was a winner in his own right.”

She stared at the lid on her coffee, then lifted her blue eyes to you. 

“I wasn’t trying to come off as mysterious and scary as I did last night. I’m sorry I frightened you. And made you question your own mind.”

You nodded, taking hold of your cup and swirling your straw around. You picked up a napkin and ran it through the condensation that had gathered on the table. You shook your head, giving a sigh. 

“It’s just … it’s like I’m living someone else’s life. I feel like I should be barely legal and finishing college, only to find that I’m nearly thirty. I had a business of my own, but …”

You shook your head again, lifting your eyes to the woman across from you when Hope spoke softly. 

“It must be jarring, to believe one thing is true, only to find it’s the furthest thing from the truth.”

You nodded, realizing you’d kept hold of the napkin and shredded it into tiny pieces in your lap. You swallowed, then took a sip of your drink. 

“What did … what did you mean last night?”

Hope looked to you, eyes narrowing. You nodded, continuing with your thought. 

“When you said I wasn’t the only one who had lost something?”

Hope nodded, looking down at her coffee cup. 

“You’re running the General’s campaign, right?”  
“I wouldn’t say I’m running it. I’m just … tagging along.”  
“Planning the events?”

You nodded, then gave a quiet laugh. 

“Can you not change the subject?”  
“I was just—“  
“No, seriously. Everyone I know has been treating me with kid gloves ever since I woke up, and I’m so sick of it.”  
“So … you’re saying the General thinks he knows what’s best for you? The General and your sister?”

You started to shake your head, going still as Hope’s eyes met yours. You swallowed, licking suddenly dry lips. 

“What … what do you …”

You looked down at the table, and Hope leaned in closer. 

“You know something’s not right, don’t you?”

You closed your eyes, slowly nodding. You lifted your head, a haze of tears clouding your vision when you looked back to the woman sitting across from you. 

“It’s something bad, isn’t it?”

Hope let out a breath, tapping her foot on the ground. She glanced over her shoulder, then leaned closer to you. 

“Be on the lookout for a package coming in a few weeks.”

Your eyebrows furrowed. 

“A package?”

Hope nodded, and you shook your head. 

“What is that supposed to mean? Why don’t you just tell me?”

Hope smiled. 

“I don’t have all the answers. I’m afraid I have more questions than anything at this point. You are the only one who can answer the questions.”  
“Stop with the cryptic bullshit, please.”  
“Cryptic bullshit is all I have right now.”

You stared into those blue eyes, and Hope stood up, taking your empty cup in her hand. 

“I’ll be in touch.”

She turned and walked to the door, dropping the cups in the trash can before she pulled a pair of sunglasses from her pocket, sliding them onto her face before she was swept away by the Los Angeles foot traffic. 

* * *

“Hey, sweetie. How was your day?”

You glanced away from the window, smiling when you saw your sister. 

“Fine. How’s Jane?”  
“Fine. Busy as ever.”

You nodded, turning and looking out the window again. 

“You okay?”

You nodded again. 

“Just tired.”  
“Want to order a pizza or something?”

You nodded, keeping your face towards the window so Betty wouldn’t see the tears you couldn’t explain that suddenly came to your eyes. Your phone rang and you sniffled as you grabbed it, eyes narrowing at the number you didn’t recognize. 

“Hello?”  
 _“It just occurred to me that I got your phone number without asking you and I’m suddenly acutely aware of how stalkerish that seems.”_

You gave a quiet laugh. 

“Yeah, you’re really not helping your case at all.”  
 _“You’d think I’d realize that, what with me being a lawyer and all.”_

The smile on your face widened, and you glanced over to see Betty motioning towards the door, winking at you as she took her phone with her, walking into the hotel hallway. You settled back into your place at the windowsill, closing your eyes at the voice in your ears. 

_“I’m sorry we didn’t get a real chance to talk the other night. My … business partner said you looked stunning.”_  
“Thank you.”  
 _“He also said you left in a hurry.”_

You nodded, looking down at the cars on the road before you spoke again. 

“I, uh …”  
 _“You don’t have to explain anything to me.”  
_ “No, I …”

You sighed. 

“I’m remembering some things.”  
 _“That’s great.”  
_ “Yeah, you would think so. It just … it hurts.”  
 _“Hurts?”_

You nodded. 

“Sometimes I’m fine. I hear something from my past or see something and it’s like ‘oh, that’s right. I wrecked my dad’s car in the grocery store parking lot when I was fifteen.’ Other times … it’s like a knife to my skull.”  
 _“I had no idea.”_

You nodded, staring at the palm trees outside the window, voice barely a whisper. 

“How could you?”

Matt was quiet on the other end of the line, until his voice rumbled through the line. 

_“Y/N, if you’d rather I not call again, you can say. I won’t take offense to it. I just enjoyed talking with you the other day, and I … I feel like we haven’t had enough time.”_

You opened your mouth, glancing away from the window as a memory overtook you. 

_“Please don’t cry.”_

_You pressed your face into his chest, digging your fingers into the thick muscles of his back. He sighed, moving his arms around you, holding you tighter._

_“Come on, pretty girl. You know I can’t leave when you’re this upset.”  
“I’m not upset.”  
“You’re crying.”_

_You shook your head, lifting it and pressing your cheek against his._

_“I just wish we had more time.”_

You gasped in a breath, squeezing your eyes shut and pressing your hand against the cool glass of the window. Shaky fingers moved your phone to the sill beside you, clicking the speaker button. 

_“Y/N? Are you okay? Please say something.”_

You nodded. 

“I … I’m okay.”  
 _“What happened? You were gasping like you couldn’t breathe.”  
_ “Memory.”  
 _“Are you okay?”_

You shook your head, hanging up the phone and running to the bathroom. You managed to get the toilet open before you threw up, groaning when you heard your phone begin to ring again. 

“Honey? I thought I heard … oh, no.”

You motioned towards the room, where your phone was still ringing. Betty nodded, leaving you to go and answer your phone. 

“Hello? … This is Betty Ross, her sister. … She’s okay, she just … she’s sick. I’ll get her to call you as soon as she feels better, okay? … Thank you.”

Betty walked back into the bathroom to find you with one elbow propped on the bathtub, your face in your hand. She took a washrag and ran it under cold water, kneeling to gently press it against your face. 

“That was Matt Murdock. Which, I’m sure you already knew.”  
“I hung up on him.”

Betty nodded, moving the cool rag to your neck. 

“He was worried about you.”

You nodded, eyes closed as Betty moved the rag over your face. 

“Are you okay? What happened?”  
“I remembered something.”

Betty’s hand faltered just the slightest bit, as she moved the rag to your forehead. 

“What was it?”

You shook your head, exhaling sharply. 

“The same man, he was … he was leaving. And I didn’t want him to go. He said he couldn’t leave me while I was crying, and I said I just wished we had more time.”

Betty schooled her face into a passive interest, instead of the horrified look she’d had while you were talking, and you blinked your eyes open to see a soft smile on her face. 

“You feeling okay?”

You slowly shook your head and she helped you stand, staying close as you brushed your teeth, walking beside you and helping you climb into your bed. Betty closed the curtains, standing by the window as you spoke softly. 

“He was wearing a uniform.”

Betty swallowed. 

“The man you’ve been remembering?”

You nodded, rolling onto your side and hugging the extra pillow on the bed. 

“It was blue, like … like a cop’s uniform.”  
“You think he was a cop?”

You sighed. 

“I don’t know. It doesn’t feel like he was a cop, but he … he was important like that. Don’t ask me what I mean or how I know, because I don’t know. I just … that’s what I feel.”

Betty nodded. You rolled onto your back, staring up at the ceiling. 

“We didn’t have enough time. That’s all I could feel, that I just needed more time.”

Tears gathered in your eyes as you looked at your sister. 

“Please. _Please_ don’t tell me I had someone and lost them. I can’t be remembering all this just to find out he died.”

Betty shook her head. 

“No, honey. No.”

She walked over, sitting on your bed, running her fingers through your hair. You gave a quiet sob, speaking softly. 

“You know more than you’re telling me. Why won’t you just tell me, Betty?”

Betty closed her eyes, continuing to stroke your hair. 

“Sweetie—“  
“Whatever Dad told you, he can’t take you away from me. You have to know that.”

You met her eyes, your own glassy with tears. 

“Whatever he threatened you with, he cannot keep me away from you.”

Betty gave a shaky sob, shaking her head. 

“I can’t take that chance.”  
“How can you keep it from me?”  
“You kept it from me.”

You blinked, and Betty shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. 

“It was a secret, the relationship between this man and you. I had no clue about it at all, Y/N.”

You shook your head, staring at your sister. Betty sniffled, pressing her lips together as she shook her head. 

“You were with him for years before you even hinted at anything. I didn’t … I didn’t even know his name.”

Betty steeled herself, the half-truth she was feeding you making her want to be sick. You shook your head, meeting her blue eyes. 

“How could I do that?”

Betty shook her head, moving a hand to brush your hair back. 

“It doesn’t matter now.”  
“Where is he? If he was important enough for me to hide him from you, where is he now?”

Betty gave another shaky sigh. 

“I guess that’s something you’re just going to have to remember.”

* * *

You were sitting in Betty’s breakfast nook, legs crossed as you ran your fingers over the downy fur of the kitten she had insisted the two of you needed. The little orange tabby was purring in your lap, the two of you settling on Marvin as his name. 

You didn’t know why. Betty didn’t know why. Marvin just suited him. 

A knock at the back door stirred Marvin, the pair of you glancing towards the door. You set the kitten on the floor, watching him scamper towards the door, with you following close behind. You opened the door to find it empty, save for a small box. 

“Package delivery, Marv.”

He gave a soft meow, and you smiled as you picked up the box, bringing it to the table. It was addressed to you, with no return address, and you did a double take when you found the kitten on the table beside the box. 

“Betty would flip if she knew you were on the table.”

Marvin meowed and you shook your head with a quiet laugh. 

“I’m not going to tell her. Just don’t mess anything up.”

He meowed again, in what you could only guess was agreement, little eyes watching as you picked up a knife and cut the box open. You pulled out the contents, setting the box on the floor, laughing when Marvin dove into the box and started to play. You shook your head, eyebrows raising when you saw the contents of the package. 

“Comic books?”

You shook your head, picking one up and flipping through it. You made a quiet humming noise in your throat, picking up the first issue and walking towards the couch in the living room. You smiled when you heard the jingle of the little bell on Marvin’s collar, and you gave a quiet laugh when you sat down and he curled up in your lap. 

* * *

“Y/N? Are you home?”

You blinked as you looked up, a shocked breath leaving your lips. You scrambled off the couch, apologizing to Marvin for disturbing his slumber, skidding into the kitchen. Betty stood there with one eyebrow raised and a smile on her face. You shook your head, motioning towards the living room. 

“I am so sorry. I meant to have dinner ready and I started reading and lost all track of time.”  
“Must have been a good book.”  
“It is.”

Betty shook her head as she started to unpack the groceries she had bought. You gave a quiet laugh, helping her unpack the groceries. 

“It’s a comic book, of all things.”  
“Seriously?”

You nodded. Betty clicked her tongue, and you looked back to see her smiling. 

“You were borderline obsessed with the Archie comics back in the day.”  
“Betty and Veronica fighting over Archie was my jam.”

Betty shook her head, setting the eggs in the fridge. 

“What’s this one about?”  
“It’s fantasy stuff.”  
“Oh?”  
“Superheroes.”

Betty’s hand faltered as she reached for the lettuce. 

“What?”  
“Oh, it’s these completely far out tales. Like, the one I started a while ago was this guy who got dosed with a fuckton of gamma radiation and now he turns into this giant green rage monster.”

You yelped when the glass Betty had reached for slipped from her hand, shattering against the floor. 

“Oh my god, are you okay? Betty.”

She looked to you and your eyes widened at how pale she suddenly seemed. You shook your head, reaching out for her. 

“Come on. You should sit— _ow!”_

You winced as you led Betty to a chair, groaning when you saw a piece of glass sticking out of your foot. You grit your teeth and pulled the glass out, closing your eyes and wincing again when you saw the blood dripping from the cut. You shook your head, patting Betty’s shoulder. 

“I’m going to grab a bandaid and make sure Marvin doesn’t find his way in here. I’ll be right back.”

Betty didn’t move as you limped from the kitchen, picking up the kitten from the back of the couch and walking into the bathroom. 

“Never mind the bloodtrail leading here. It’ll be fine. And you, sir, better not shred the toilet paper when I lock you in here.”

Marvin tilted his head at you and you shook your head as you gave a quiet laugh. You sat on the closed toilet and put your foot over your knee, looking down at the cut on your heel. 

Only … there was no cut. There was no blood. You felt your eyebrows furrow as you studied your skin, but there was nothing there. 

“But I felt it. It hurt. I pulled glass out of my foot.” 

You ran a finger along the bottom of your foot, then let it fall back to the floor. You shook your head, turning to look at the kitten sitting on the counter beside you. 

“I’m not crazy.”

Marvin gave a chirp of agreement, and you nodded, pushing a hand through your hair before gathering him into your arms and walking back to Betty. You plopped the kitten into her lap, sliding your feet into a pair of shoes near the door, grabbing the broom and dustpan as you swept up the broken glass. You cleaned the blood from the floor, then walked over to sit beside your still-pale sister. She had one hand slowly petting the purring kitten and you shook your head. 

“Talk to me.”

Betty slowly shook her head. 

“You just startled me, is all.”  
“I said ‘giant green rage monster’ and you almost passed out. You were white as a sheet, acting like you’d seen a ghost. That’s not like you, Betty. What’s going on?”

Betty swallowed as she looked down at the cat. She shook her head and you gave a forceful exhale. 

“Betty, that stuff is a fantasy. There’s no such thing as—as Iron Man. The Hulk is nowhere even in the vicinity of plausible, because that much radiation would kill a man, not turn him into the literal Jolly Green Giant.”

One corner of Betty’s mouth quirked up. She shook her head. 

“What did … what did the comic say the explanation was?”  
“As to why he didn’t die?”

Betty nodded. 

“He had some kind of gene or something in his body that partnered with the gamma radiation and somehow protected him instead of killing him. I don’t know; you’re the scientist, Bets. Not me.”

Betty slowly nodded, turning her head to look at you. 

“Where did you get the comic books?”

You lifted a shoulder, shaking your head. 

“They were delivered this morning. No return address.”  
“What all have you read about?”

You stood up and walked into the living room, gathering the books and bringing them to the kitchen table. 

“This is the first one I read. Iron Man. Then another one about Iron Man, then the Hulk. Thor is up next, and then this one about Captain America.”

Betty clenched her jaw at that, until you showed her the last issue. 

“This one is supposed to bring them all together. Make a team out of them, The Avengers.”

You gave a quiet laugh, shaking your head. 

“Everything I’m reading seems so familiar, but I know I’ve never read these before.”

You tapped the Captain America issue, shaking your head. 

“Anyway, you’re welcome to read them, if you want. I’ll call for a pizza, since I did a crap job of cooking dinner.”

Betty nodded, smiling as you left her to walk into the living room and get your cell phone. She lifted a shaking hand to take hold of the first comic book you’d showed her. She shook her head, running her fingers over the red and gold superhero on the front. 

Tony Stark was no longer a household name. Stark Industries was a shell of the corporation it once was, and both Tony and Pepper Potts had gone off the grid. 

Betty pushed the Iron Man comics aside, lifting the one about Thor. 

No one had heard from Thor since the Battle of Sokovia. Jane had teared up when Betty had asked her about it in L.A., saying that she hadn’t heard from him, but was glad he wasn’t around to meet the fate the others had met. 

Betty swallowed and reached for the Captain America issue, shaking her head and taking hold of the Hulk. 

Bruce hadn’t answered the last time Betty had tried to call. It had been over a year ago, when everything was falling apart with you and then the Avengers. Betty had left a frantic message, telling Bruce to stay away, to hide as best he could to keep himself safe, to go as far off the grid as he’d always wanted to be. 

She still had no clue if he’d even gotten the message. 

Shaky fingers flipped through the pages, reading passages that she remembered as if they’d happened yesterday. A woman was in the comic squares, supposedly a love interest for … 

Betty glanced back a few pages, closing her eyes when she saw Bruce Banner as the scientist who gets turned into the Hulk. She shook her head, flipping forward and discovering the red-haired love interest was none other than Natasha Romanoff. 

Betty set the book down and covered her mouth with a hand. She closed her eyes, biting her tongue. 

This would be for the best. Removing Betty from the story and replacing her with Natasha would save the multitude of questions Betty knew her sister would have. 

But it hurt. 

This story, Bruce’s story, was _theirs_. Betty was the only one who could bring him back when the Hulk took over. Betty was a witness for the fight that nearly destroyed Harlem, and was the only reason Bruce didn’t kill the Abomination. 

“Betty?”

Betty blinked, turning to face you and smiling. You motioned with your phone. 

“Twenty minutes and we’ll have dinner.”

Betty nodded, standing up from her chair and walking to you. She wrapped you in her arms and you rolled your eyes as you hugged her back. 

“I love you, Y/N.”  
“I love you too, Betty.”  
“Please don’t ever forget that.”

You shook your head, and Betty patted your face as she pulled back from you. She walked to uncork a bottle of wine, and you chewed on your lip as you glanced at the comic books spread over the table.

* * *

“What are you reading?”

You smiled as you flipped a page in your book, not lifting your eyes to your curious father. 

“Nothing.”  
“Y/N…”

You giggled, turning your head to look at him, seeing the stern look on his face. 

“It’s a comic book, Dad.”  
“Comic book?”

You nodded, and one of his eyebrows raised. 

“Why in the world are you reading comic books?”

You shrugged. 

“I don’t know. They’re interesting. It’s nice to escape reality every now and then.”  
“Tell me about them. Is it something I’d like?”

You gave a quiet laugh. 

“No, Dad. I seriously doubt you’d like these. They’re fantasy.”  
“I’ve been known to indulge in a fantasy every now and then.”

You laughed louder, shaking your head. 

“Dad, no offense, but I don’t believe that.”

Thaddeus rolled his eyes and you shook your head again, laughing under your breath. He tapped his thumb against the arm rest and then spoke. 

“I heard you’ve been talking with a lawyer from Manhattan.”  
“Dad…”  
“I’m just stating a fact.”  
“We don’t talk about my dating life, remember?”

The look on his face matched the one on your own, and you swallowed as you blinked a few times. Thaddeus smiled as he moved a hand to gently pat your arm, and you relaxed back in the seat, a soft smile on your lips. After a quiet minute, you spoke softly. 

“Have we ever been to Romania before today?”

Thaddeus shook his head. 

“I have, but you and your sister haven’t. It’s a beautiful place. You’ll love it.”  
“Even though I don’t speak Romanian? Wait. I don’t, do I?”

Thaddeus chuckled. 

“No, dear. But you’ll be fine. That phone has translation apps and there’s often someone who speaks English.”

You nodded, turning your head to peek out the airplane window. 

“Why are we going there again?”  
“I’ve got some business with the prime minister before the summit this week.”

You slowly nodded. 

“And the summit is …”  
“In Vienna this year.”

You nodded again, then let out a slow breath. Thaddeus moved his hand to pat your arm again. 

“Get some rest. We’ll be landing soon.”

* * *

The air was warm as you walked along the marketplace, eyes dancing over the booths offering colorful scarves and handmade knicknacks. You made a mental note to come back to those, eyes lighting up when you saw the section offering fresh produce. 

You stopped at a booth with baskets of deep purple plums displayed, and you stepped up beside a man, your hand brushing his gloved one as you both reached for the same fruit. 

“Sorry, I didn’t—“

You stepped back, looking towards another basket as your cheeks flushed. You felt a gentle tap on your shoulder and you glanced back, smiling softly as you took the fruit he offered in his palm. 

“Thank you.”

He nodded, and you studied the plate where the prices were posted. You tried to remember what the exchange rate was, glancing to see if anything could tell you whether credit cards were accepted, stopping when a raspy voice beside you rumbled softly in a language you didn’t understand. You turned to look at the man who had given you a plum before inadvertently paying for it, and he nodded at you before turning and walking away. 

You watched him go, unable to shake the sudden feeling that something about him was familiar. Surely you’d never met him before, because you’d never been to this country. 

But there was something about his eyes, the icy blue somehow haunted…

“There you are. Find anything?”

You blinked, exhaling before you turned and gave your dad a smile, holding up the plum. 

“Just a snack.”

Thaddeus rolled his eyes but smiled, slipping his arm around your shoulders as the two of you walked down the street, and you subtly steered him back towards the booth of scarves. You rolled the plum between your hands as Thaddeus spoke.

“What do you think about Bucharest?”

You nodded. 

“It’s nice. Different, but in a good way.”

Thaddeus smiled, letting his arm fall as you stepped away from his side, fingers dancing over a brightly colored scarf. He tucked his hands in his pockets and spoke. 

“I’m meeting the Prime Minister for dinner. Do you want to come with me?”

You pursed your lips, stepping to another scarf. 

“I don’t think so. I’d like to explore a bit more.”  
“I’ll get Evan to—“  
“Dad.”

You glanced over your shoulder, giving the General a look that made him smile. You shook your head, rubbing the scarf between your fingers. 

“Dad, I’m fine. I’m a big girl. I just want to grab a bite and sightsee a bit.”  
“Still, I can get Evan to show you around.”

You rolled your eyes, lifting the scarf and nodding before turning to face him. 

“Dad. I can walk around by myself.”  
“I know that. I just … I worry about you.”

You sighed, smiling at the woman who walked over to you, nodding at the scarf in your hands. You nodded back and she took it from you, to bag it up. You turned to your father and smiled at him. 

“I know. But you don’t need to. I’m fine, really.”

You held up the plum you’d been carrying. 

“I can find my own snacks and everything.”

Thaddeus laughed as he shook his head, stepping closer to you and slipping money to the woman to pay for your scarf. You smiled and slid the bag onto your arm, your smile widening when Thaddeus once again tucked his arm around you as the two of you resumed your walk. 

But you couldn’t help glancing over your shoulder, getting the strangest feeling that you were being watched. 


End file.
